Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove

Subject: Lyr Req: David Blagrove Canal Songs
From: GUEST,Ian Hendrie
Date: 29 Dec 07 - 05:22 PM

Can anyone help me with the lyrics of the following songs which I believe were written by David Blagrove?

Coal Wharf
The Greasy Wheel
Poly 'Round the Blades

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: David Blagrove Canal Songs
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 29 Dec 07 - 06:48 PM

Ian - According to Dave Bryant's post of 28 Feb 2002 on this thread
David Blagrove said he didn't write Poly Round the Blades.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: David Blagrove Canal Songs
From: Emma B
Date: 29 Dec 07 - 07:58 PM

The only person I've heard sing 'Poly Round the Blades' (with real feeling too) is The Admiral (aka Tony O'Neill) I'm sure he'll help.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: David Blagrove Canal Songs
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 29 Dec 07 - 09:30 PM

This man has all three (inc a sound clip of Poly): Bru Peckett. He might be disposed to let you have a copy of the words if you contact him (email on the site)

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: David Blagrove Canal Songs
From: GUEST,Bru Peckett
Date: 30 Dec 07 - 04:58 AM

I do indeed have all three of the above songs and the lyrics to most (of not all) of David Blagrove's other songs 'cos I produced 'The David Blagrove Songbook' a good many years ago

I'm unsure about posting the lyrics to a public forum as David might not appreciate it and it's now some years since I had any contact with him but I don't think he'd object to my sharing the lyrics to the above songs with one or two individuals

However, a caveat or two ... the occasional request for one or two songs I can cope with, a mountain of requests for lots of lyrics may well get ignored due to lack of time/interest/enthusiasm! Also, a lot of the lyrics to songs which I've never performed myself are in a box folder somewhere in my loft since we moved house and may not see the light of day for a while

The three songs mentioned are ones I've performed myself from time to time so I've got the lyrics to hand - email me via my web site www.bru-up.co.uk and I'll sort 'em out for you

For info ...
Coal Wharf is a rewrite of the Max Boyce song 'Duw, it's hard'.

Greasy Wheel is perhaps unique as being the only known canal folk song known to the boating community that predates the 1960's. According to David, he collected fragments of the lyrics and the tune from an old boater in the bar of the Greyhound at Hawkesbury Junction on the Coventry Canal in the early 1960's and put it back together again filling in the blanks. There have been other claims to be the originator of the song (IIRC Ian Campbell claimed to have written the lyrics at one point and I know of at least two people who've claimed to have collected the song as per David's story)

'Poly' was written one night in the bar of the Bottle & Glass public house at the Black Country Museum during a working boat gathering and was very much a community effort (David always being *very* quick to point out that it was not *his* song). It would be impossible after all these years to attribute the song to the original contributors (David couldn't remember who was there 15 odd years ago!)

Cheers
Bru

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: David Blagrove Canal Songs
From: GUEST,Ian Hendrie
Date: 30 Dec 07 - 05:26 PM

Many thanks for info Bru. I have tried to e-mail you via your web-site but the e-mail link doesn't seem to work. Perhaps you wouldn't mind e-mailing me via my web-site devoted to 'Songs of the Waterways' http://www.moonlightshadow.demon.co.uk
where there are over eighty songs. You will see that I have taken the liberty of including some of your lyrics though you are credited in full and I have given details of your CD and where it may be bought. I hope you have no objection to this. The aim of the site is to bring together canal songs so that as many people as possible might enjoy singing them or find it easier to track down recordings and enjoy listening to them. I have nothing to gain financially from this and do not wish to upset any song-writers. Your co-operation would be most welcome.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: David Blagrove Canal Songs
From: GUEST,Ian Hendrie
Date: 30 Dec 07 - 05:29 PM

Further to previous message I would welcome any information about how to contact David Blagrove to seek his permission for the use of his song lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: David Blagrove Canal Songs
From: Leadfingers
Date: 30 Dec 07 - 08:23 PM

Ian - I am not going to put other people Phone numbers in a public forum - Either join up (For Free)and PM me , or try an E mail to me Terryleadfinger and my ISP is aol.com .

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: GUEST,Bru Peckett
Date: 03 Jan 08 - 02:52 AM

Dunno why the email link wasn't working - just tested it and it seems OK to me! (The bl**dy server is probably playing silly b's again)

Try emailing me at bruce at peckett dot org dot uk instead

As for contacting David Blagrove, I haven't had any contact with the old boy for some years now so can't help there I'm afraid

Oh and no probs with the inclusion of the lyrics on the web site (although the CD concerned is now consigned to the distant misty murky past and I've no plans to resurrect it)

Cheers
Bru

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 19 Apr 12 - 02:21 PM

I've just come across this thread again while trying to determine just exactly what a 'greasy wheel' as mentioned in the canal song discussed previously is. Does anyone know?

It might be worth mentioning that the words to the Coal Wharf are still required for the 'Songs of the Inland Waterways' site which moved some time ago to http://www.waterwaysongs.co.uk/index.html.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 Apr 12 - 08:59 AM

Ian-

Good luck on nailing all of this down.

And I hope that you have a splendid summer cruising the cut on Moonlight Shadow.

"The Jolly Bargeman" will be featured on my soon to be released CD titled Songs from an Old Sea Chest.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble and JudyB

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 21 Apr 12 - 09:36 AM

Thanks Charley,

Good luck with the new CD.

Ian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: framus
Date: 21 Apr 12 - 07:13 PM

Anybody heard The Good Ship Calibar?
Or is it just NI?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 22 Apr 12 - 04:38 AM

Various versions of 'The Calabar' can be found here : http://www.waterwaysongs.co.uk/calabar_intro.htm.

And in a similar vein, from Northern Ireland, there is 'The Shipwreck on the Lagan Canal' here : http://www.waterwaysongs.co.uk/lagan_canal.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 22 Apr 12 - 04:40 AM

By the way, neither of the two previous songs are written by David Blagrove (thread creep?).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: framus
Date: 22 Apr 12 - 07:50 PM

Sorry, didn't notice the writer's name.
Does that make me a thread creep?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 08:09 PM

It looks like 'The Greasy Wheel' apparently collected in fragment form separately by David Blagrove and Charles Parker may be a candidate for a genuine 'traditional' boaters' song.

Two versions can be seen here with extensive observations from David Blagrove.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 05:32 PM

David Blagrove has kindly provided the lyrics to a number of his songs for inclusion in the 'Songs of the Inland Waterways' website. They will be appearing there in a day or so.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 26 Apr 12 - 01:51 AM

The Coal Wharf, Les Morton's Men, Les Morton's Navy, Boater's Glory and The Trip to Banbury have now been added to the 'Songs of the Inland Waterways' archive.

My thanks go to David Blagrove for kindly supplying the lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: Mr Red
Date: 26 Jun 12 - 07:06 AM

FWIW I left a message on David's phone and haven't heard since Thursday, but I know he was at Braunston the weekend.

I too wanted permission to use his lyrics for Hard Working Boater on canal videos. Sung by the Ock 'n Dough Band. If anyone reading this can help me contact him I would appreciate it. either PM or contact me via a webform.
TIA

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs about canals by David Blagrove
From: GUEST,Ian Hendrie, adrift on the waterways
Date: 27 Jun 12 - 02:40 PM

I have previously had problems getting replies from David Blagrove. I imagine he is a very busy man with his contributions to various canal magazine, etc. I don't have his e-mail available at the moment, as I'm 'travelling the system', but I am about one days travel from Braunston. If I bump into him I'll have a word.